


Le Bel Homme sans Pitié

by Who_First



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: He just has pets, La Belle Dame Sans Merci, M/M, Ra's has no mercy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-26
Updated: 2012-08-26
Packaged: 2017-11-12 22:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/496141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Who_First/pseuds/Who_First
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ra's reflects on a ballad and his favorite Detective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Le Bel Homme sans Pitié

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LectorEl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LectorEl/gifts).



> Ra'sTim always for my Darling~

“ _I saw pale kings and princes too, pale warriors, death-pale were they all. They cried “La belle dame sans merci hath thee in thrall_.” 

He smiled as he gazed out the windows, watching the deep reds and purples of the setting sun, as his young associate spoke. Such a sight, the sun shining off the mountain sides, set to his pets voice. The young man’s voice really was quite lovely. Though he wanted to laugh at old words coming from such a young voice.

Beautiful.

Perhaps not a word ever used to describe him, not when there were many more accurate descriptors, but he had been called beautiful at one point in time. Long ago. Beautiful was a dangerous word these days. There were so many opinions on what was beautiful and what was not. 

His companion, dark head bent over the old original pages, ignored his thoughtful gaze. The young man was not beautiful either. Striking, assuredly, with the sharp features and piercing blue eyes against pale skin, but to plain compared to many. 

He was pleased to say that his daughter was the closest to truly beautiful he knew. She was lovely with her curvaceous body, long silk hair, and naturally darker skin. Sadly her personality left much to be desired, he had no pity in admitting that. 

“ _I saw their starved lips in the gloam, with horrid warning gaped wide, and I awoke and found me here, on the cold hill’s side_.”

Mercy. The beautiful woman without mercy.

He laughed, glancing over at his companion with real amusement, as the younger continued reading. No. No one had called him merciful in many ages. Perhaps it had been so far back he had mostly forgotten the memories, but never recently, and certainly not from the reader. Indeed, the young man was reading the ballad to make a point. 

How the young man would laugh at the idea of him ever being mistaken for merciful. Well, perhaps not laugh, but certainly let the amused sharpness enter his eyes as his thin lips twitched minutely.

“ _And this is why I sojourn here, alone and palely loitering, though the sedge is wither’d from the lake, and no birds sing_.” 

Ra’s tipped his head in interest, turning away from the overlooking window just enough to view his reader, letting the amusement stay on his face as the boy finished the ballad.   

“Is there something you wish to inform me of Detective?”  Ra’s drawled. “Do I perhaps have you in thrall?”

“Of course not.” Timothy let the delicate pages drop to his lap, fingers hovering against ancient ink, keeping his face down. “I merely enjoyed reading you one of my favorite poems. Not like I have anything better to do.” 

“Indeed.” Ra’s allowed the heavy smirk to settle on his face, knowing it annoyed his Detective, knowing just as well as his Detective that favoritism was not the only reason for reading aloud. “It is a enjoyable ballad. Not one I imagined you would enjoy, though.”

Tim was silent, head down glaring at his lap, as Ra’s spoke. His Detective was always so obstinate, even when he was resigned to his fate, but this was something Ra’s was quite used to. No matter how exasperating it could be.

“If it pleases you Timothy, I greatly enjoyed your voice.” Ra’s continued, stepping closer to the couch holding the younger man. The twitch in Timothy’s lean muscles made him want to laugh. “Do feel free to continue reading your favorites aloud. I am sure there are more in the shelves.”

A double edged sword. With Timothy’s taste in fiction and history, coinciding so perfectly with Ra’s own taste, of course he would have more to his Detective's taste. This was proven by Keat’s poem, even if the reading was in fact another sword. But with Timothy’s own stubbornness, on accepting anything of of Ra’s, the young man would be hard pressed to find another reason to go through the extensive shelves, without seeming needy that is. 

“Please Timothy.” Ra’s turned fully, feeling the heat of the sunset along his back through the glass, smiling easily at his companion. “Do make yourself comfy, I have told you, you are welcome to my library.”

Tim ignored him, looking down as he carefully gather the papers up and set them aside, before standing and putting the papers away again. His captured bird did know how to properly treat relics of past history, another point of character Ra’s appreciated in him. 

Though Ra’s appreciated the majority of his pets’ character points, apart from Timothy’s flaw of needing justice for the weak and dislike for murder, he did prefer some. Timothy’s thirst for knowledge was one, as was his intellect and planning.

It made for some unfortunate occasions on which his needed bases, among other important properties, were fire bombed and destroyed, much to the young man’s joy. But it was a small price to pay for drawing his Detective ever closer to him. 

And every destruction made Timothy so proud. It was adorable.

“Timothy.” Ra’s deep voice went cold, eyes focusing as Timothy paused without looking up, commanding the young man’s attention. “I do hope you are paying attention.”

The blue eyes finally met his own darker eyes, raw and heavy with emotion, trying helplessly to keep the expressive eyes flat. Impossible to keep such eyes emotionless. The boy simply cared to much, and he could read every one of the feelings crossing along. 

“I would prefer to be home with my own books.” Tim glared, teeth gritting, high spots of color forming in his cheeks. “Or failing that, seeing as how you _kidnapped_ me from my home, I would like to see you shoved out of a _window_.”

“Merely for your own protection my Detective, I assure you.” Ra’s purred. 

Tim glared upwards, still avoiding Ra’s eyes, as the ancient stepped between his legs. He looked away again, teeth gritting, as fingers swept through his dark hair. Sitting frozen as Ra’s caressed down the silky hair.

“I would hate for you to be hurt in your... time of need.” Ra’s bent, letting lips form the words against Timothy’s cheek, purring as dark hair ruffled with every breath. “Imagine if they continued to leave you alone. What if you needed help?”

Tim turned his face away, holding in the shiver as Ra’s bent more to scent along his long, pale, neck. Feeling the panic rising in his chest as lips pressed lightly against the pulse point in his neck.

“I would hate to be left alone in such a position.” Ra’s turned to match Tim, cheek resting against the soft skin. “It would be unfortunate.” 

Tim held his breath as Ra’s hand came up to cup his other cheek.

“I would hate for my Detective to think me... Without mercy.” 

Tim let his head be guided back, young blue eyes meeting the the ancient eyes, face held in place. Refusing to show how the caress of hands upset him. Unaware of everything showing in his eyes.

“You have no mercy Ra’s.”

“You wound me my Detective.” Ra’s let the smile curl around his lips. “Though you must admit you are in no shape to take care of yourself at the moment. The current lack of... associates in your life, informs me there is no one else to take care of you.”

Tim let his eyes go flat as Ra’s pressed the tips of their noses together.

“Perhaps I have no mercy.” Ra’s conceded as they breathed in time, breathing in each others breath. “But is it considered mercy to protect my own?”

  



End file.
